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I sent an inquiry to Bonnie Plants about Ichiban hybrid eggplant this weekend.

Ichiban was discontinued by Seminis/Monsanto a couple years ago, so there is no new seed in production or available for home gardeners. If my information is correct, the last time they produced seed was in 2010.

I found a couple Ichiban seedlings by coincidence last spring (2015) at a local garden center, labeled by Bonnie Plants. I grew them and they were great, and only afterward learned about their discontinuance.

Customer rep. replied to my inquiry this morning, and he claims they will be growing Ichiban seedlings this spring, which will be available in local big box stores here (NE Ohio) in late April to mid-May.

Maybe there's hope. He did not reply to my inquiry as to how/where/when they obtained their seeds. Maybe leftover (how long are they viable?). Maybe a substitute mislabeled for the consumer? Hard to tell, especially since I'm a newbie.

Any suggestions as to one that comes close? There are a few OP varieties that look similar, but none I've found that claim the taste (tender, sweet) and productivity of Ichiban.

I really want to have a conversation with them in hopes of garnering an explanation as to how it is they can obtain patented Ichiban seeds if they've been truly discontinued by Seminis. I'd hate to think a different eggplant was being substituted under the Ichiban label.

Tis way more than I would ever need. Price is very good, though I couldn't locate mention of shipping charges without checking out with a purchase.

I may just order one or two from Chile Plants along with a few hard-to-find peppers, then keep my eyes peeled for the Bonnie plant starts in spring. Chile Plants requires plants be bought in multiples of six (any assortment) plants, for shipping.